Mrs Famania's Class

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This semester in Mrs. Famania’s class, students participate in a hands-on, integrated curriculum that focuses on the development of science, math, English, and geography skills.  Through the inquiry process, students learn to ask questions and systematically find answers to those questions. Middle school students will apply these inquiry skills in their investigation theme of Zombie Apocalypse.  Throughout the unit we will cover many science standards, including, plant structures, ecosystems, changes in environment, and structural and behavioral adaptions.  Through research and planning we will also work through problems that will require research, responding to reading, collaboration, geography and economics.   Partial funding for the unit has come from a grant from APS and the Phoenix Suns, we are currently waiting on money from them to purchase gardening supplies. 

At the end of the project I am asking each team to create a presentation board to showcase their work.  Students will present their experience to their peers at the end of the unit.  Parent donations of rubber cement and 36”x48” black trifold presentations boards will be greatly appreciated. 

Also, if you have experience with survival skills, first aid, or other skills, and are interested in volunteering for a day to share your knowledge, please contact me. 

In addition to the project, if your student would like to learn more about the subject, I am encouraging everyone to read a book this semester (outside of ALPS).  It could be fictional or non-fiction, and it is free choice.  Books on survival would be a great benefit for students to relate to the unit and find outside knowledge. 

Finally, to keep parents up to date on everything happening this semester, please sign up on remind.com.  I created a special class for just this semester in order to ensure you just receive texts regarding this class.  I have attached instructions of how to sign up.

Thank you for your continued support!

Crystal Famania

Crystal.famania@phxschools.org

602-322-1921

ASU-Night of the Open Door

What a great event  for our student and it's FREE.  Get your free tickets now! www.opendoor.asu.edu

Galileo Testing

Happy Holidays

First Trimester Perfect Attendace

Schools: Bethune, Capitol, Edison, Emerson, & Kenilworth

The above students s were recently recognized for having Perfect Attendance  First Trimester. 

Weekend and Thanksgiving Break Boredom Busters

Mrs. Famania's ideas

• Students can work on Khan Academy(math, grammar, coding, or choose something new!)   Email me if you need your username
• Students can learn coding on code.org  Email me if you need your username and password
• Write a play and perform it outside! We all could use some fresh air.
• Create your own game! Get some cardboard or paper and create your own game with rules.  
• 4th-5th grade:  Work on your final project for "Crow Call".  Just remember to save it to a google drive, cloud, email to yourself, hand write it, or bring it on a zip drive.
• 1st-3rd grade can code their instruments on Scratch-email me for usernames and passwords.

Mrs. Hecht's ideas:

• 4th-5th-work on Science Projects(see recent letter or blog post for more details)

Ms. Baer's ideas:

• Read a good book

Mr. Dennis's idea:

• Go ride a bike outside.

From the Desk of Ms. Hecht

Dear Parents,

The 4/5^th graders have been working on electrical circuits and for their final project this trimester, students are expected to come up with a science project which will be due on the week of December 5^th.

Here is the timeline just in case your child wants to work on their project over Thanksgiving break.

Week of…

Nov. 14^th – decided on a project and begin with the following steps

1.    Purpose/question- “What do I want to learn?”

2.    List of Materials

3.    Hypothesis-prediction of what you think will happen

4.    Procedure- list each step

Once your child completes his/her project, they may complete the observation piece at home. This will give them time to assess what is/is not working and assess how they can fix it or make it better.  

Nov. 21^st - Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 28^th – Students are to complete their project and test it.  (Time will be given in the classroom.)

Dec. 5^th – Present to class their project

HINT: “Homopolar Motor” projects are a good start for students who are just learning about circuits. 

This project should be fun and challenging.  It’s okay if your child gets frustrated, as long as they learn to work through it by preserving and by making decisions on their own as to how they will complete their project.

If you have any questions, please email me at Khamphet.hecht@phxschools.org.

Thank You,

Khamphet

No ALPS Classes, October 5

Please contact us if you didn't receive your student's ALPS Progress Report.

Grade 1-3 Project

We are currently reading, “The Scarebird” by Sid Fleishman.  This story is about a lonesome farmer name John who forms a relationship with his scarecrow, treating it much like a living companion. When a young man comes to inquire if Lonesome John needs help on his farm, John has to readjust to human companionship for the first time in years.

As our class discuss this theme about “relationships” and what makes relationships strong and successful we’ve decided as a class to create our own “scarecrow” for this fall season.  In order to do this, we need your help.  We will need toddler clothes to make little scarecrows.

We will need…

•         Toddler/baby clothes – jeans/pants, overalls, button shirts /shirts
•        Hats
•         Shoes
•        Pantyhose or pillowcases (for the head)
•         Straws

 Please send in what you can.  IF you have extras, our class will surely appreciate them.

Thank you,

Ms. Hecht 

ALPS Updates

Sign-up for important updates from ALPS.

Fall Open House-September 15

2016 Parent Institute

Parent Institute 2016 Registration Still Open!

AAGT's Parents Institute is a one day event geared towards the needs of Arizona's parents of gifted and talented children. Our goal is to advocate, educate, and communication on behalf of gifted learners in the state of Arizona!  Our keynote speaker is Paul Beljan of Beljan Psychological Services. Adult Registration: $25 for Members/$35 for Non-Members. Lunch is included for adults. The K-8 Student Enrichment Program is still open for registration as well! $25 per child. Students must bring a bag lunch. Register Here! https://aagt.wildapricot.org/event-2269432 Aviador Español Disponible! Spanish PI flyer.pdf

Welcome Back! Thursday's Group

Welcome Back

ALPS BEGINS TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

Welcome to the start of another great ALPS school year here at Monterey Park. The ALPS Team  is back and ready to challenge, inspire, and motivate our students to make this their best academic year.

Monterey Park Learning Center-2301 N Third Street-Phoenix 85004-(602) 257-6342

Pictorial Review of School Year 2015-2016

Click on picture to view .

Take the 2015-2016 Parent Survey

Each year we ask parents to complete a survey about our gifted and talented program. Your participation is needed with providing  feedback regarding ALPS. Please may time to complete the  survey as soon as possible (click on picture below). 

Thank you in advance for completing.  Your opinions will help our program grow and make the ALPS Program even better for the Phoenix Elementary Community. 

ALPS Cancelled: May 3 & 5

ALPS will be cancelled the week of May 2 due to Galileo Post Benchmark Assessment.
Classes will resume Tuesday,  May 9. 

 We  have field trips planned for April 19(Desert Botanical Gardens)  & April 21 (Mystery Castle).   Permission slips need to be returned on or before field trip date.  We are in need of parent volunteers, please let us know if you can join us! 

Items students need:

1. Sunblock/Hat
2. Water
3. Comfortable Shoes

1-3^rd and 6-7^th grade parents – Ms. Dennis and I are in the midst of the points of pride unit, students are creating poetry and art to reflect some of Phoenix’s many points of pride.  We are encouraging students to visit these locations with their families during their free time.  Some of the locations we are covering are the Japanese Friendship Garden, Botanical Garden, Mystery Castle, and Camelback Mountain. 

4-5^th and 8^th parents – Ms. Hecht and Ms. Baer are also working on the Points of Pride unit.  They are encouraging all students to visit Phoenix’s points of pride locations throughout Phoenix.  Some of the points of pride include South Mountain, Botanical Garden, ASU, Tovrea Castle, Mystery Castle, Phoenix Zoo, Camelback Mountain, plus many others. 

7^th grade parents only – Paper application were given to students interested in applying for the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship.  Application are due to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation on or before April 15.  The ALPS Program is not affiliated with this organization, but we feel that many students would benefit from the technology and support it provides through high school. Applications are  also available online.

ALPS Classes Cancelled

ALPS classes are cancelled the week of March 28 due to AzMERIT Testing.  Classes will resume the week of April 4.

Join us for Parent Night/Open House

ALPS Student is 1st Runner Up in District's Annual Spelling Bee

ALPS student Paul Montoya (5th grade) from Magnet Traditional School competed recently in the district's annual spelling  bee in which he was the First Runner-Up in this year's competition.  Paul advances to the Regional Bee March 19.  Congratulations and Best of Wish for the upcoming competition. 

Congratulations to the following ALPS students who also participated in this year's competition:

• Stephany Reyna-Capitol
• Lizabeth Meza Chavez- Heard
• Amelia Reyes-Kenilwoth
• Daisy Ontiveros Carrizal-Magnet Traditional

Paul and Daisy

FREE Technology Workshop

FREE Event Satruday forAdults-Kids-Families

The University of Arizona (UA), in partnership with COX Communications, presents Connect2STEM 2016 — a family friendly event celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine. STEM enthusiasts have the opportunity to interact with 100+ tables of hands-on science activities. The first event drew more than 2,000 children and families.

The UA’s second annual Connect2STEM event is free and will take place from   10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix, which is located downtown at 550 E. Van Buren Street (5th St. and Van Buren). The event takes place just blocks away from the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship football festivities.

Developing Critical Thinking at Home

Parents can foster critical thinking at home by asking questions that lack a single correct answer.  The questions should be asked casually as part of a conversation, rather than a quizzing manner.
If you child is interested in social issues, then engage him or her in thoughtful discussions about them.  The personality and interests of children are the keys in interacting with them and addressing critical thinking at home. 
Parents can demonstrate critical thinking by pondering aloud the most efficient way to do household chores considering the most economical purchase to make at the grocery store, monitoring your progress toward your personal goals, or approaching social issues in your community.  Describing how you think and solve problems is the best way for you to instill similar thinking patterns in your children.
Children are naturally inquisitive and with encouragement they can develop critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their lives.  It only takes time and encouragement.